Cash-recorder



(No Model.)

A. C. HOUGH. CASH RBC/ORDERY Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

AZEL CLARENCE IIOUGII, OF SOUTH BUTLER, NEV YORK.

CASH-RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,501, dated October 18, 1892.

Application filed May 13, 1892.

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, AzEL CLARENCE I-IOUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Butler, in the county of Wayne and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash-Recorders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved machine for the convenient record of the sales or other transactions in mercantile businesses and the like. In my machine I use a roll or continuous piece of paper on which the desired entries are to be made, which paper is moved or fed a short portion at a time opposite an opening in the machinecasing each time that the cashdrawer is opened. The entry opening` being Wide enough for but one record, on the next following operation of the drawer the record just made will be moved away therefrom and a fresh or clean surface presented for the reception of the next record, that or those previously made `thus becoming inaccessible, except by opening the casing. The paper is carried from the roll to a drum that rotates on a horizontal axis, and the periphery of said drum moves past the record-slot, so that it forms a support for the paper while the entry is being made, the diameter of the drum being so great that the supporting-surface has but little curvature. This drum constitutes one feature of the invention.

A further feature of the invention resides in the construction of the face or cap plate which is placed over the drum and has the slot or opening through which access is had to the paper thereon to make an entry.

The several features above indicated, as well as others of less importance, but of value, will be fully hereinafter described.

To the end of producing a machine for the purpose named my invention consists in the cash-recorder and in the parts thereof constructed and operating substantially as hereinafter described, shown in the accompany- Serial No. 4132.876. (No model.)

ing drawings, and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the face or cap plate. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing a modification of said plate. Figs. et and 5 are enlarged detail views showing two modes of securing the free end of the recording-paper to the recording-drum.

The casing A of my machine is shown as constructed in the form of a desk and is designed to securely inclose the recording mechanism and record, so as to prevent access to the same by unauthorized persons, being to this end provided with some suitable lock. For the convenient accommodation of the rccording and lever-lock mechanism a compartment a is provided in said casing to one side of the drawer B but as this location is merely one of convenience any other that may prove desirable may be given them.

Suitably journaled on a horizontal axis, in a frame C, that is secured to the casing A, is the recording-drum D, the upper portion of whose circumference lies just below the top of the casing A. Said drum may be constructed of metal, wood, papier-macho, or other suitable material, and has such diameter that a small section of its periphery is practically a flat surface. To it is attached the free end of a roll of paper E, on which the record is to be made, which paper, by a succession of movements of the drum on its axis, is gradually wound upon the same, and in being wound is caused to pass and be exposed at a record opening or slot f, provided in a face-plate F to be presently described-that is, placed over the drum.

When the drum is made of sheet metal, as shown in Figs. 1 and et, the free end of the paper E may be attached thereto, as best shown in Fig. 4, by forming a slit in the periphery of the drum of the Width of the paper and securing to the inner side of said periphery a plate CZ in such position that a space will be left between the latter and the drums periphery a short distance to one side of the slit. The end of the paper is inserted through IOO the slit and passed into said space, being thus heldin a position in which it will be prevented from separation from the drum.

Another mode of attachment is shown in Fig. 5. A slit is made in the drum which opens into a larger round opening d a short distance inward from the circumference, in which is a slit rod d2. The end of the paper, with this construction, is passed through the slit in the drum and into the slit in the rod d2, the two slits being placed in alignment, and the latter is then turned around to move its slit out of alignment with the other. To facilitate such turning, the rod is extended at one end beyond the side of the drum in position to be grasped by the fingers.

The drum, if desirable, may be provided 0n each edge with continuous flanges or a series of radial projections to prevent lateral displacement of the recording-paper.

The drum is given a partial revolution each time the drawer is opened by a pawl-andratchet mechanism that is actuated by the drawer. Said mechanism comprisesa ratchetwheel D, that is carried by the drum, being attached to one of its sides, and a pawl or dog g, that is carried on the end of a swinging arm or lever G, that for convenience is hung or pivoted on the shaft of the drum, so as to move freely thereon and not be moved thereby. Said lever G at its outer end has a downwardly-extending arm g', which at its lower end carries a friction -roller g2, that rests upon the upper edge of the side of the drawer B, that adjoins the compartmentI a. Such drawer side has a depression that forms a cam-surface b to engage the roller g2 as the drawer moves outward and causes the lever G to move upward and carry with it the pawl g, which, being in engagement with a tooth of the wheel D', will rotate the latter, and so the dru m D, a predetermined distance. When the cam-surface b passes out of contact with the roller g2, the latter will simply have the horizontal portion of the edge of the drawer to engage it and the upward swing of the arm will cease, notwithstanding the continuous outward movement of the drawer. On the return of the drawer to its closed position the arm g and roller g2 will drop back into the depression and place the pawl into position to again move the drum in the manner just set forth. Backward movement of the drum is prevented by a stop dog or pawl h, that engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheel D.

The roll of blank paper is supported on a shaft or spindle, that is journaled at its ends in two standards e, that rise from and form a part of the frame C. On its way t0 the drum D the paper passes beneath a roller 7i', flanged at its ends and supported in the lower end of the lugs or bracket that depend from the casing top. A fiat spring C', fixed at its lower end to the frame C and having its curved free end bearing against the periphery of the roll, operates to prevent the too rapid or free unwinding of the paper as the drum D is rotated.

Secured to the top of the casing A, so as to cover an opening therein over the drum D, is a face or cap plate F, in which is provided a slot or openingf, having a length equal t0 the width of the said paper, through which access is had to the latter for making thereon the desired entry. Such slot is formed by the rear edge of a plate of glass I, held in place by a suitable frame C2, and the front edge of a flexible plate J. The glass is made wide enough to render visible several entries made on the paper, after they have been moved away from the slot; but while rendering them visible they are of course inaccessible to any unauthorized person who might beinterested in altering them. The opening covered by the glass is narrower than the record-paper, so as to leave a narrow margin, which will become invisible as soon as as the paper moves past the slot. I make this provision in order to permit the making of such private entries as may be desirable, such as the profits upon the particular sale just made, the. These, on the opening of the cash-drawer after the sale to put the money therein,willbeimmediately concealed by being passed beneath the opaque portion of the glass plate.

The plate J is made of spring metal, is attached fixedly at its rear edge to the under side of the face-plate, and rests at its forward free edge yieldingly upon the paper on the drum D. Being made elastic or yielding, it always adapts itself to the thickness of the paper on the drum D and rests in contact therewith, whether one or more layers are upon the same. It not only acts to keep the surface to be written on always smooth, but also clearly defines such surface. Instead of this spring-plate, a rigid plate J may be used, as shown in Fig. 3, which will be hinged at its rear edge to the under side of the faceplate and be yieldingly held in contact with the paper on the drum by a flat spring J2.

rl`he use and operation of my apparatus is thought to be readily apparent from the description given and need no further elaborate 'setting forth. Each time the drawer is opened it will in its outward movement, by means of the pawl-and-ratchet mechanism described, partially turn the drum D and move the paper and carry the entry, which was made before the lock mechanism was actuated, under the glass I, where it will be visible, but inaccessible, to unauthorized persons. Such private entries as were made on the narrow margin of the paper will be carried under the opaque portion of the face-plate adjoining the glass and be immediately concealed. The movement of the drum to carry the entry just made beyond the slot f will bring to the latter a clean 0r fresh surface on which the next record is to be made.

As changes or variations may be made from the mechanism shown and described by the IOO IIO

skilled mechanic which will not involve departure from the scope of my invention, Ire` gard myself as being entitled to maize the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. In combination with a casing having a slot, a paper-receiving drum serving to support the paper while an entry is being made through the slot, one edge of the slot being formed by a plate that rests yieldingly upon the drum-periphery to adapt itself to varying thicknesses of paper thereon, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the casing having a slot, a paper-receiving drum serving to support the paper While an entry is being made through the slot, and a spring-plate having a free end that rests upon the drum-periphery and forms an edge of the slot and adapts itself to varying thicknesses of paper thereon, substantially as described.

3. A recording mechanism employing a movable record-receiving strip, having an entry-slot aording access to the latter, and a transparent section that is narrower than the width of the record-receiving strip and the entry-slot to disclose only a portion of the strip, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

4. In combination with a casing having a slot, apaper-receiving drum having a portion of its periphery adjacent to said slot to serve as a support for the paper while an entry is being made, a yielding plate having its free edge resting on said periphery to form one side of said slot, and atransparent plate forming the other side of said slot, and suitable means for rotating the drum, substantially as described.

5. In a cash-recorder employing a movable record-strip, a drum to receive and move said strip and support the same while a record is being made, and means for rotating the drum, comprising a ratchet-Wheel secured thereto, a pawl to co-operate with said wheel, the pivoted arm carrying said pawl, whose pivot is the drum-axis, the downward extension on said arm, and a sliding drawer having a camsurface to engage said extension to raise said arm, substantially as described.

6. In a cash-recorder employing a movable record-strip, the standards to support the latter in the form of a roll, a spring-plate bearing against the roll, the drum receiving the strip directly from the roll, the roller depending from the casing-top and engaging the strip between the roll and drum, the sliding spring-actuated drawer, and the pawland-ratchet mechanism operated by the latter as it moves outward to rotate the drum, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AZEL CLARENCE IIOUGH.

Witnesses:

JOHN CHAPPELL, D. C. WHEELER. 

